She's getting into patterns of sleeping and waking, although they might not always happen how you'd like them to. She might start moving about just as you're trying to sleep, or when you're in the middle of a presentation at work!
Good sleep might start getting harder to come by as your bump can make it difficult to get comfortable in bed.
Your baby's kicks may feel gentle at first, but as she gets bigger and stronger, so will her movements. You might even start seeing your baby bump shift around when she turns her whole body.
Your baby's brain is growing fast, and her facial muscles are getting a workout as she tests out different expressions, such as smiling and frowning.
Although your baby still has a lot of growing to do before she's ready to be born, she's now considered "viable". This means that if she were to be born this week, her lungs are developed enough for her to survive after some specialist care in a neonatal unit.
Thankfully, extreme prematurity is not common, so it's unlikely you'll be meeting your little one for a few more months.
Check out our pregnancy guide to see what changes could be happening to you at 24 weeks pregnant.
Stretch marks
Watch how stretch marks happen and what you can do about them!See more pregnancy videos
Note: every baby develops differently. This page is designed to give you a general idea of how a fetus grows in the womb.
24 सप्ताह की गर्भावस्था की जानकारी हिंदी में पढ़ें!
Last reviewed March 2020
References
Hantoushzadeh S, Sheikh M, Sharlat M, et al. 2015. Maternal perception of fetal movement type: the effect of gestational age and maternal factors. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 28(6):713-7Hill MA. 2019. Fetal development. University of New South Wales Embryology. embryology.med.unsw.edu.au. [Accessed November 2019]
Moore KL, Persaud TVN and Torchia MG. 2019. Fetal period: ninth week to birth. Chapter 6 in The developing human: clinically oriented embryology. 11th edition. Elsevier
NHS. 2018. You and your baby at 24 weeks pregnant. NHS, Health A-Z, Pregnancy and baby. www.nhs.uk. [Accessed November 2019]
ONS. 2019. Births by gestational age at birth and ethnicity of live births, 2017 in England and Wales. Office for National Statistics, Birth characteristics. www.ons.gov.uk [Accessed November 2019]
Raynes-Greenow CH, Gordon A, Li Q, et al. 2013. A cross-sectional study of maternal perception of fetal movements and antenatal advice in a general pregnant population, using a qualitative framework. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 13:32. www.biomedcentral.com [Accessed November 2019]
RCOG. 2019. Information for you: your baby's movements in pregnancy. Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. www.rcog.org.uk [Accessed November 2019]
Reissland N, Francis B, Mason J et al. 2011. Do facial expressions develop before birth? PLoS One. 6(8): e24081. www.ncbi.nlm.gov [Accessed November 2019]
Sato M, Kanenishi K, Hanaoka U, et al. 2014. 4D ultrasound study of fetal facial expressions at 20-24 weeks of gestation. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 126(3):275-9
Tommy's. nd. Premature birth statistics. www.tommys.org [Accessed November 2019]
